1. The Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to hand held cleaning apparatus having a reciprocating or rotating brush head.
2. The Relevant Technology
Household cleaning is a never ending business. Although there are numerous types of sponges and brushes that are specially designed to clean large, open surface areas such as countertops, sinks, and bathtubs, there are fewer resources available for cleaning the difficult cracks, corners, and other hard to reach areas that are ubiquitous in a home. Although conventional sponges and brushes can certainly be used for cleaning corners and other hard to reach areas, the configuration and large size of such conventional cleaners makes them difficult to access such areas. The user is often required to apply extensive force by the ends or tips of the fingers so as to force the cleaner into the crack or corner to be cleaned. Such cleaning is tiring and often results in cramping of the hand and/or fingers.
This problem is compounded by the fact that corners and cracks are typically where dirt, mold, soap scum, and other undesirables tend to grow or build-up. As such, extra energy or force is often necessary to clean such locations.
Conventional toothbrushes are often used to clean such hard to reach areas. The problem with toothbrushes, however, is that because they are specifically designed for cleaning teeth around sensitive gums, toothbrushes are typically too soft and do not have a good angle for any extended, aggressive scrubbing of hard surfaces. Furthermore, because of the small handles on toothbrushes, any significant scrubbing using a toothbrush again produces fatigue and cramping of the hand.
Toilet cleaning is another area in which improvements are desired. Typically a long-handled brush is used to clean the toilet. Then the brush is allowed to dry and stored until it is used again. This allows germs and other undesirable unsanitary matter to remain on the brush used to scrub the toilet. To remedy this, the brush can be discarded or sanitized after each cleaning. This helps in terms of sanitary conditions, but throwing away the toilet brush or sanitizing after each use can be very expensive. What would be nice is a cleaning apparatus having a disposable brush portion that can be removed and thrown away. Furthermore, doing so without having to touch the brush portion would also be desired.
Accordingly, what is needed are improved cleaning apparatuses that solve some or all of the above identified problems.